The Allahabad High Court has set aside a lower court ruling that dismissed a petition seeking a police investigation against former Allahabad University Chief Proctor Rakesh Singh over alleged caste-based abuse and physical assault. Remanding the matter back to the special court for fresh evaluation, the High Court directed the judge to issue a reasoned order and examine whether police officials breached their statutory duties by failing to register a case.
Justice Jai Prakash Tiwari ruled that the special court for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes cases committed a legal error by summarily rejecting the complaint without analyzing the available material. The High Court emphasized that judicial orders must outline clear reasoning to avoid being arbitrary and legally unsustainable.
Allegations Of Assault And Abuse
The legal challenge was brought by Vivek Kumar, a member of the Scheduled Caste community and president of the All India Students Association’s Allahabad University unit. Kumar alleged that the incident occurred on October 17, 2023, during a peaceful demonstration outside the campus. Students were protesting to demand 24-hour access to the university library, the reinstatement of suspended peers, and improved sanitation facilities.
According to the complaint, Chief Proctor Rakesh Singh targeted Kumar during the demonstration, using caste-based slurs against him and striking him with a wooden stick, resulting in physical injuries.
Failure To Register FIR And Trial Court Dismissal
Following the alleged assault, Kumar submitted complaints to the police and submitted representations to higher administrative authorities. After no First Information Report was filed, he petitioned the special SC/ST court to direct the police to register an FIR.
The special judge dismissed the application after briefly describing the incident as suspicious, without conducting an inquiry or reviewing the submitted evidence. In the High Court proceedings, legal counsel representing Singh defended the lower court’s decision, arguing that the dismissal was justified because the circumstances surrounding the allegations appeared inherently doubtful.
High Court Findings On Judicial Duty
Overturning the lower court’s decision, Justice Tiwari noted that the special judge failed to examine the facts or evaluate the prima facie evidence presented. The High Court held that dismissing a complaint without substantive analysis constitutes a failure of judicial mind.
The High Court also instructed the special judge to review the potential application of Section 4 of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. Under this provision, the lower court must determine whether public servants, including police personnel involved in the matter, failed to perform their mandatory statutory duties and take legal action if warranted.
